TZL 1600 (web)

September 8, 2025, Issue 1600 WWW.ZWEIGGROUP.COM

TRENDLINES

AI in HR systems

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Handle hidden tension before it blows – eroding trust, culture, and leadership credibility. Geysers in the breakroom

Uses HRIS or ATS

Doesn't use

Zweig Group’s 2025 Recruitment & Retention Report shows that AI adoption in HR is gaining traction across the AEC industry. While 64% of firms use human resources information systems or applicant tracking systems, 44% report that these platforms now incorporate AI features to make hiring more efficient. Participate in a survey and save on a Zweig Group research publication.

R ecently, my family and I vacationed in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We visited the Tetons and Yellowstone, saw wildlife moving openly everywhere, and took in some impressive scenery. It’s a majestic place for sure. What struck me more than anything was its power and volatility. As you probably are aware, Yellowstone National Park sits largely within a caldera – a massive, active volcanic basin filled with steaming vents, colorful hot springs, mud pots, geysers, and more. Boardwalks guide you across these geyser basins, and while the surface looks solid enough, you never forget the fact that just beneath your feet lies a tempest of scalding water and steam churning through fragile rock. You’re literally walking on top of a giant, unpredictable volcano, where things can go south fast and without warning. I don’t know about you, but that’s a good metaphor for how leadership can feel at times – especially when you’ve got people who just aren’t on board with things. Everything might look calm to the casual observer, but just below the surface, there’s tension, resistance, and bubbling volatility until suddenly you’re dealing with a geyser-like situation. These people exist, to one degree or another, in every firm I’ve been exposed to. You know who they are – they’re the loners, the ones who can’t, or won’t, buy into your firm’s direction. Most leaders deal with them in one of two ways: They either pretend the problem doesn’t exist and hope it magically resolves, or they exhaust themselves trying to win them over – even when it’s clear they’re not coming around. There’s a better way to handle this. Let me just pointedly say that it’s a myth that good leaders can (or should) get everyone to agree with them. The truth is, some people just aren’t going to want to ride your bus, and a few will even try to steer it in a different direction altogether. Now, it’s true, some of them just need a little more communication, context, or reassurance to come around. No problem – those folks are worth your time. But there’s another group: people whose core beliefs, priorities, or personal agendas just don’t and won’t line up with things. They might not say it outright because that would take courage, but it shows in how they behave. They question decisions constantly, they complain, they derail, and they stir up doubt. They focus only on what could go wrong instead of what’s going right. They drain your time, energy, and resources, and the longer you tolerate it, the more it chips away at your momentum.

Jeremy Clarke

FIRM INDEX AECOM...............................................................8

Corgan............................................................. 10

MORE ARTICLES n KRISTI WEIERBACH: Driving performance and success Page 3 n MARK ZWEIG: It’s time to take quality seriously Page 5 n JANKI DEPALMA: If a tree falls and no one is around… Page 7 n LINDSAY YOUNG: Defining your firm’s DNA Page 9

See JEREMY CLARKE, page 2

THE VOICE OF REASON FOR THE AEC INDUSTRY

JEREMY CLARKE, from page 1

As a quick aside and practical encouragement, one tool I lean on – and suggest to clients – is the classic “Nine-Box Assessment,” which helps you look at people through two lenses: how well they perform and how strongly they align with your firm’s direction and values. It’s a simple framework that quickly reveals who’s thriving, who’s drifting, and who might be a quiet geyser undermining your culture. I won’t map out every box here, but if you haven’t used the nine-box before, it’s worth exploring. It’s eye-opening – and it makes the conversations we’re talking about a lot clearer (reach out to me directly if you’d like to discuss it further). The point is, not all resistance is created equal. Some people are simply uncertain or nervous, but others are fundamentally opposed and resentful. Your job is to figure out which is which. You have to ask yourself whether someone still believes in your firm’s objectives and values, even if they disagree with how you’re getting there. You have to consider whether they’re willing to adapt and evolve. You have to look hard at whether they’re just processing fear or if there’s a deeper misalignment that’s unlikely to change. People who are just anxious deserve your time. But those who are deeply misaligned usually won’t change, no matter how many conversations you have. Waiting around, hoping they’ll suddenly bloom, is wishful thinking. If someone’s hesitant but fundamentally aligned, invest the time. Sit down. Listen. Explain why changes are happening. Help them see where they fit. Sometimes that’s all it takes. But if someone is persistently resisting – if they’re actively working against the direction of the firm – it’s time to stop tiptoeing around them. Here’s my rule of thumb: everyone deserves one real chance to align. After that, consequences matter. Those consequences don’t always mean letting someone go. Sometimes it means redefining a role, reducing influence, or setting clearer expectations about behavior and performance. But sometimes, the only option is parting ways, and that’s where many leaders freeze up, especially in our industry, where the path of least resistance seems to be the path, and no one wants to be unpopular. Yet it’s crucial to remember that keeping someone who refuses to align can become volcanic, building pressure beneath the surface that eventually drags the entire team down and can damage your credibility as a leader. This isn’t just a people issue. It’s a business issue, folks. Your team is watching how you handle these situations. If you acquiesce rather than confront and deal with it, your people will start questioning whether all the talk about “team” and “collaboration” is real – or just words on a wall in your lobby. So if you’re standing on your own metaphorical geyser basin right now, sensing the heat under your feet, remember this: Your job isn’t to drag people into the future kicking and screaming. It’s to build a team of people who believe in where the firm is going – and to ensure no one’s going rogue in an attempt to steer things off course. Have the hard conversations. Make the tough calls. Be courageous. It’s better for the firm, your clients, and your own peace of mind – with a lot fewer surprises bubbling up from beneath the surface. Jeremy Clarke is COO and managing director of Talent consulting at Zweig Group. Contact him at jclarke@zweiggroup.com.

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THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 8, 2025, ISSUE 1600

OPINION

Incentive plans for employees should align unique performance measures with organizational success to drive retention, engagement, and results. Driving performance and success

W hat does employee performance really mean? The next time you are in a meeting with your peers, ask each person to describe employee performance. Inevitably, the answers will vary from one person to another, and if you ask the same question in a different group setting, you will continue to get more items to add to the list. Is it about time management? Quality and quantity of work? Client satisfaction? The truth is that performance looks different in every organization and every discipline.

Kristi Weierbach, Ph.D, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

That variability makes one thing clear: attracting, motivating, and retaining top talent isn’t just about base pay and benefits anymore. It’s about building incentive plans for employees that truly connect performance with organizational success. THE KEY TO INCENTIVES IS UNDERSTANDING PERFORMANCE. At its core, employee performance is defined as the accumulation of ideas and abilities used in carrying out certain work to produce various outputs by existing provisions of the organization. An employee’s effectiveness and efficiency in carrying out their responsibilities (Digital Behavior and Impact on Employee Performance: Evidence from Indonesia).

When companies do not have standard operating procedures related to performance, there is more flexibility, freedom, and potential inconsistencies in how the work is performed. How employees use their time, the expected quality and quantity of work, and the way in which the work is performed will vary from one organization to another and even from role to role, and project to project. It’s definitely not one-size-fits-all. Think about it:

See KRISTI WEIERBACH, page 4

THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 8, 2025, ISSUE 1600

ELEVATE THE INDUSTRY®

Leaders today are challenged to retain high performers in a competitive market and simultaneously push teams to deliver greater value. As a leader, it is important to have the right people on the team and to know the levers that can be adjusted to elevate their performance. Increasing efficiency, pushing people of out their comfort zone with a creative challenge, taking risks, adding new services, etc. are all examples of ways that organizations can move the needle on performance. Getting specific about how each employee will help achieve their goals can then be used to measure the increased performance and ultimately help define the criteria for a successful incentive plan. NEXT STEPS. How do you design an incentive plan for employees that works – one that drives measurable results instead of just adding cost? That’s exactly what we’ll cover in our upcoming webinar, Compensation Reimagined: Incentive Plans that Drive Success. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to leverage incentive plans to accelerate performance while rewarding the talented individuals who make it all happen. Kristi Weierbach, Ph.D, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is managing director of Workforce Advisory at Stambaugh Ness. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

KRISTI WEIERBACH, from page 3

■ The work for a project manager who designs buildings for a franchise restaurant is often repeatable from one location to another, requiring minor regional adjustments for local culture, building codes, etc. ■ The work to design a music hall in one city will have a unique set of stakeholders and a vision that can vary significantly from those in another city. ■ The type of engineering needed to design a bridge versus a high-rise building is distinctly different. In all of these scenarios, each role requires unique talent and motivators. Without the right incentive structures in place, leaders risk disengagement, turnover, and missed opportunities for growth. While I am not an engineer or expert on what it takes to execute these projects, what I do know is that each requires a certain level of talent with its own

combination of knowledge, skills, and abilities. WHY INCENTIVES MATTER MORE THAN EVER.

Keeping and finding the talent that is naturally motivated to perform each type of work is more difficult than ever before. Conversely, if someone isn’t naturally excited about their work, the incentive to reward the individual may not yield the return on investment needed. When critical incentive components are in place, it is so much easier to elevate performance.

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THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 8, 2025, ISSUE 1600

FROM THE FOUNDER

It’s time to take quality seriously

I f you look at most of the marketing materials from AEC firms of any kind, you will see the word “quality” used frequently. Pretty much everyone claims to be a high-quality service provider, or to do “high quality projects.” That’s great if it is true, but too often those are just hollow words with no real action to back them up. Many AEC firms claim high quality, but without consistent action those promises quickly become hollow words.

Mark Zweig

Let’s take a look at a few things related to “quality,” or at least the perception of it in the AEC world: ■ Office space. How is yours? Is it clean? How nice are your bathrooms? Are all the fixtures attached to the wall and functioning? Trash cans not overflowing? Is your lobby filled with 2-year-old magazines? How do your blinds look when you see the building at night? Is all of your signage clear and up to date? Lighting good? Work areas neat? Company lunchroom clean? Carpet clean and spot-free? Wall and trim paint in good shape? Parking lot clean? Planting beds weed- free? Dumpsters hidden away? Smokers out back where they can’t be seen? All of this is a reflection of your quality standards. It speaks to your visitors and employees alike. ■ Vehicles. How are yours? Are they all painted to match? No visible scrapes, dents, or other damage? Name, logo, phone number, and web

address on all work vehicles? Are they spotlessly clean inside and out? No trash in them? Your vehicles make an impression on people. It’s either good or bad. If bad, it calls into question the quality standards you maintain. ■ People. Do they all dress appropriately? Decent shoes? Do they each have the educational backgrounds and registrations required to be experts in their fields? Are they good communicators? Do they have good manners? Does everyone have a business card? Do they do what they say they will and follow up when they are supposed to? Are they quick to respond to emails and calls? Everyone in the firm has to meet certain standards for you to truly be perceived as a quality service provider. You are only as good as your weakest team member.

See MARK ZWEIG, page 6

THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 8, 2025, ISSUE 1600

ELEVATE THE INDUSTRY®

to support it? What is the public reaction likely to be to the project? Is that a concern? Do the plans themselves reflect the physical quality that is expected? Spelling errors? Clarity? Have likely contractor questions been fully addressed? These things all impact the perceived quality of what you do. ■ Documentation. Are your people quick to get out meeting minutes? Are the minutes accurate and spelled correctly? Do they go to everyone they are supposed to? Do they get site visit reports out quickly and accurately, and are they clear? This stuff is important to quality. ■ Client satisfaction post-construction and recurring problems. Do you poll or interview your clients to find out how they feel about what you did for them after the project is complete and in use, or are you afraid to uncover problems that you don’t really want to hear about? Do you deal with common recurring problems with your work product and services, or just shrug them off as normal? These things have a huge impact on the perceived quality of your services. It’s time to take quality seriously. While demand remains high for most everything firms in our industry do, it’s probably going to get a lot more competitive soon. Quality providers will always do well, but those with quality problems will suffer if demand slows. Mark Zweig is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.

MARK ZWEIG, from page 5

■ Phone systems. Does yours work like it should? Does the person who answers the phone sound like they are alive and glad to be there? If you use auto attendant, does the menu system make sense? Does it work? Is your employee directory up to date? Does your system dead end or cut people off? Is there some kind of music or talking on hold so callers know they haven’t been disconnected? Does the voicemail work like it’s supposed to? Does everyone have a current voicemail message? Phone systems are often the gateway to the customer experience. Your entire service quality can be judged by a bad phone system. ■ Written communications. Does everything that goes out of your company meet a certain quality standard? Do your people use proper sentences and paragraphs? Do they all use the language properly? Do your people spell properly? (I recently saw a LinkedIn profile from a manager in a design firm that had his title listed as “principle.”) Have you done any training to improve the writing quality of your people? The quality of what you do is often judged by the writing quality of your people. ■ Designs and construction plans. Have alternatives been studied? Do your people really care about giving the client what the client wants versus what they themselves want to do? Have you been honest with the client about what they are going to get? Have end users been polled to identify their wants and needs? Has unnecessary cost been cut out where it can be even if the budget is there

THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 8, 2025, ISSUE 1600

OPINION

Y ou’ve probably heard the old philosophical question: If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? It’s been interpreted in many ways, but to me, it’s always been about validation. Does something matter if no one acknowledges it? Recognition matters, but real growth happens when leaders value quiet progress, not just visible wins. If a tree falls and no one is around…

That question came to life recently through my son’s experience with math. He was struggling with advanced algebra – he’s in eighth grade – and we started studying together. Which meant I was relearning algebra right alongside him. Over time, his confidence grew, and by the end of the year, he pulled off an A-. His school has an auto-notification system that alerts parents when grades drop below an 89, and I realized I hadn’t received a single alert in weeks. It felt like a solid parenting win. When report cards came out, he casually mentioned they’d been posted. Then, after a pause, he said, “You didn’t say anything about my grades.” And he was right, I hadn’t. Because I wasn’t getting the alerts, I assumed he was doing well. But his comment made me pause. Did he need me to acknowledge what a great job he’d done? Wasn’t the A- enough? At 14, yes, he did need that validation. And it came in the form of a few overpriced items from the mall.

But beyond the new clothes, I saw something shift in him. He felt proud of the turnaround. He saw himself differently. We’d figured out how to study better, how to identify what he didn’t know, and how to ask better questions. The grade became more of a checkpoint than a finish line. This experience reminded me of a concept I’ve always wrestled with: the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation is driven by external rewards like grades, praise, bonuses. Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, comes from within. It’s the internal drive to learn, grow, or contribute, regardless of recognition. In his book Drive , Daniel Pink explores this distinction and argues that while external rewards can be effective in the short-term, they often fail to sustain long-term engagement or creativity. He identifies three key drivers of intrinsic motivation:

Janki DePalma, LEED AP, CPSM

See JANKI DEPALMA, page 8

THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 8, 2025, ISSUE 1600

ELEVATE THE INDUSTRY®

BUSINESS NEWS AECOM AWARDED $80 MILLION ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION CONTRACT FOR VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE IN CALIFORNIA AECOM, the trusted global infrastructure leader, announced it has been awarded an Optimized Remediation Contract by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District to provide environmental remediation services at Vandenberg Space Force Base on California’s Central

Coast. The 10-year, $81.3-million single award is one of the largest optimized remediation contracts awarded by the USACE Los Angeles District, reinforcing AECOM’s position as a trusted partner in delivering mission-critical solutions. “We are honored to expand our long-standing relationship with the Department of Defense and lead this critical work at Vandenberg Space Force

Base,” said Frank Sweet, chief executive of AECOM’s global Environment business. “Through innovative, sustainable remediation solutions, we’re helping to restore natural systems and deliver impactful environmental outcomes that align with our clients’ long-term goals.” The contract includes a range of remediation and management activities at 60 sites throughout the base.

The same thing happens at work. If you’re only motivated by external validation, you’ll stick to what you know you can do well. You’ll avoid risks. You’ll only apply for awards you’re sure you’ll win. And if you don’t get recognition? You start to question your worth. But if you’re driven by growth, you’re more willing to try, fail, and learn. You’re not chasing applause, you’re chasing improvement. I see this in my own work, too. Business development is all about building relationships over time. The growth mindset reminds me that the small, consistent actions I take today – whether it’s a thoughtful follow-up, a new idea, or simply showing up – will compound in the long run, even if I don’t see immediate results. It also reminds me not to compare myself to others (something so difficult to do). My intrinsic motivation comes from wanting to grow this company and having the autonomy to shape how we get there. That sense of ownership fuels my persistence, especially when progress feels slow or invisible. This mindset shift isn’t easy. The fixed mindset is often ingrained in us from childhood. As an academic kid, I heard a lot of praise about how quickly I picked things up or how I compared them to others. Embracing a growth mindset meant unlearning that. I only truly adopted it when I was studying Japanese. It didn’t matter how I compared to my classmates – what mattered was improving over time. One of my proudest moments wasn’t recorded in a grade book: after a phone conversation, the other speaker assumed I was a native speaker. I’m not saying we should get rid of bonuses or recognition. Those things matter – and again, I love them. But they’re not the whole story. If we want people to grow, we need to recognize effort, not just results. Are they learning? Improving? Taking smart risks? And as employees, we need to remember that not everything we do will be met with applause. Sometimes the most meaningful work happens quietly. Sometimes the tree falls, no one hears it, but it still makes a sound. Your efforts matter – even when no one notices, even when no one says anything. You know those sound waves rippled. And ultimately, that’s what really matters most. Janki DePalma, LEED AP, CPSM is director of business development at W.E. O’Neil. Contact her at jdepalma@weoneil. com.

JANKI DEPALMA, from page 7

1. Autonomy: having control over how we work 2. Mastery: the desire to improve at something meaningful 3. Purpose: the belief that our work matters Looking back, my son had all three. He had autonomy in how he studied, whether through YouTube videos, practice problems, or our sessions together. He saw his own progress, which gave him a sense of mastery. And he started to believe he could be “a math kid,” not just someone trying to pass. This isn’t just a parenting story, it’s a workplace story, too. In many organizations, we lean heavily on extrinsic motivators: bonuses, promotions, public recognition. And those things are important (and yes, I love them), but they’re not enough. If someone feels micromanaged, stuck in their role, or disconnected from the company’s mission, no amount of “great job!” is going to keep them engaged. I’ve seen it firsthand. You can offer someone a big bonus for hitting a target, but if they don’t feel respected or trusted, it won’t matter. That’s where Pink’s framework hits home. People want to feel like they have a say in how they work. They want to get better at what they do. And they want to know that their work means something. When those things are in place, people don’t just perform – they grow. This also ties into Carol Dweck’s work on fixed vs. growth mindset. In her book Mindset , she explains that a fixed mindset assumes talent is innate and finite. People with this mindset often avoid challenges because they fear failure or hitting their “talent ceiling.” They crave praise based on comparison, it’s all about being better than someone else. A growth mindset, on the other hand, believes that talent grows with effort. It’s OK to be “wobbly” at something new – that’s how you improve. The focus is on progress, not perfection. And you’re not comparing yourself to others; you’re measuring your own growth over time. If we’d fallen into a fixed mindset, we might have moved my son to a lower-level math class just to get an easy A. But he chose to stay in the advanced class. Not every test was perfect, but he didn’t take that as a sign he didn’t belong. He didn’t fixate on his friends’ grades; it was about his own improvement.

THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 8, 2025, ISSUE 1600

OPINION

Defining your firm’s DNA

Every firm is unique, so focus on your differentiating factor to create a one-of-a-kind client experience.

E very body is different. If you know anything about your body, you know that it is a unique piece of artwork. No one on the earth is made quite like you. You have similar characteristics and DNA as family members, but you are a unique individual. If you’ve ever tried losing weight or changing your diet because someone you know told you how they did it successfully, but then their method didn’t work for you – you know what I’m talking about. Every body is different and therefore reacts to food, diets, and exercise differently.

Lindsay Young, MBA, FSMPS, CPSM

Guess what? Your company is no different! There are many architecture, engineering, and construction businesses – and they are all unique in their own way. Each company has a different set of values and company culture that is set by the founders and leaders of the firm. Firms focus on different types of markets and industries through providing a range of different services. They employ a unique team that delivers top-notch projects to clients. They may look the same on the outside, but they are all different in their own way. Many years ago, someone asked me who the best contractor was in my local market. I responded by

asking them what they wanted built. They were just asking a general question, because they knew I was very familiar with all the contractors in this market. I can’t answer that question without knowing what the client needs or wants. Each contractor builds different types of structures, so I had to have more information to provide an answer. There are certain firms that excel at different types of projects. Being so close to this industry, I can see the difference between competitors even when the competitors can’t. Every firm brings a unique set of talent, skills, and customer service to their clients. I wouldn’t refer a road contractor to build a school, because that isn’t in their wheelhouse.

See LINDSAY YOUNG, page 10

THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 8, 2025, ISSUE 1600

ELEVATE THE INDUSTRY®

BUSINESS NEWS CORGAN STUDIES

RECEIVE

spaces. The report combines primary and secondary research – including a survey of 1,480 renters across six key Sun Belt markets – to highlight critical gaps between industry perceptions and renters’ lived experiences, providing developers and property managers with actionable insights to better align with renter needs and preferences. The thoughtfully designed study is structured so it can be replicated and applied to different geographic markets. CORE recognition was also awarded to “Designing with Mass Timber: A Comparative Prototype Analysis of Structural Materials and Real CO2e Emissions Assessment,” research that consists of three studies. Developed by Corgan–Hugo and Corgan–Echo, the firm’s sustainability group, two reports examine the differences between concrete and mass timber construction and a third report identifies biogenic carbon emissions that are often unaccounted for in life-cycle assessment studies for mass timber buildings. In response to the research findings, the firm developed the Corgan Mass Timber Carbon Calculator – a dynamic tool that helps architects and designers to estimate biogenic carbon emissions in mass timber projects and more accurately calculate a project’s overall embodied carbon. Intended to educate and empower the industry, the

free tool allows designers to compare the impact of different tree species and consider lower carbon-intensive timber species at every project phase, leading to more sustainable project outcomes. EDRA’s Great Places Award recognizes research concerned with the experiential relationship between people and their environment, and this year’s Place Research Award was awarded to “Transforming Passenger Experiences: A Data-Driven Journey Map at Ontario International Airport.” Corgan conducted a data-driven experiential optimization study that mapped the passenger journey at Ontario International Airport, revealing challenges and opportunities. Data analysis identified both short-term and long-term strategies that would make substantial improvements in wayfinding and the overall passenger experience. ONT is implementing changes based on the findings. Given the replicable research methodology, the experiential optimization study can be conducted at other airports and building types. “Research and data-driven insights are at the core of everything we do, allowing us to develop innovative design solutions for our clients,” said Samantha Flores, director of Corgan–Hugo. “Curiosity is foundational to our culture as a firm, and we see vast opportunities to leverage data to solve problems and achieve exceptional outcomes.”

CERTIFICATE RESEARCH EXCELLENCE FROM ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN RESEARCH ASSOCIATION OF Research from global architecture and design firm Corgan has been recognized by the Environmental Design Research Association, an international, interdisciplinary organization. Corgan was recognized with two EDRA Certificates of Research Excellence. CORE recognition honors innovative, practice-based environmental design research, and as part of the review process, the two submissions underwent a rigorous, double-blind review by a panel of experts. A third study received the EDRA Great Places Award in the category of Place Research. The Great Places Award honors projects with an interdisciplinary approach that is enduring, human- centered and sustainable. EDRA’s highest recognition – CORE Certification with Merit Status – was awarded to Corgan’s “Residency Reshaped: The Future of Multifamily,” which addresses transformative shifts in the U.S. multifamily housing market. Developed by Corgan–Hugo, the firm’s research and innovation group, in partnership with the firm’s Multifamily practice, the study explores how renters’ priorities are evolving in the wake of hybrid work trends, affordability challenges, and changing expectations for living

Every firm is different. Each firm brings a distinct skill set to each project. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Create a one-of-a-kind experience for your clients through your differentiating factor. Know your firm and understand how your clients see your firm. Lindsay Young, MBA, FSMPS, CPSM is a marketing services advisor with Zweig Group and president and founder of nu marketing. She can be reached at lyoung@zweiggroup.com. “When you know who you are and where you want to be in a year, three years, or five years, you’ll be better equipped to make sound business decisions. Knowing your differentiating factor allows you to market your firm utilizing that uniqueness.”

LINDSAY YOUNG, from page 9

Knowing your company culture and what differentiates your firm from the others are the first steps. When you know who you are as a company and where you want to be in a year, three years, or five years, you’ll be better equipped to make sound business decisions. Knowing your differentiating factor allows you to market your firm utilizing that uniqueness. If you don’t know, then you need to complete an internal brand audit and external client perception surveys. These two exercises will help you focus on what makes you different according to your existing clients, so you can better market those benefits to prospects. It gives you time to reflect and make sure you are headed in the right direction with your company culture and focusing on your differentiating factor. As a firm, you don’t want to be (or need to be) everything to everyone. You want clients who value your expertise, pay you a fair fee, and treat you and your team with respect. When those things aren’t aligned, it’s not a good fit for your firm or your team. Determining what your firm is helps you select which projects to pursue and what people to hire to best serve your clients.

THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 8, 2025, ISSUE 1600

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